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Good, Bad, and Ugly of 2008 (So Far)
3/20/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
NASCAR's Cup teams have made it through the first five races and they need a break! Rain has played havoc with their weekend schedules and the travel back and forth to the left coast had to wear them out. But a few teams hate to lose the momentum of a great start to the season while others are licking their wounds wondering how the season could be such a train wreck! Let's take a look at the top five good, bad, and ugly stories from 2008 so far.
Good
Kyle Busch- No one has had such an electric start to their NASCAR season in many years as Kyle Busch. Any car (or truck) he climbs in is a threat to win this season. He leads the way in two of the three divisions of NASCAR racing. Every race he has done something spectacular to get people talking. Good seats are still available on the Kyle Busch bandwagon but at this rate they will be sold out soon!
Greg Biffle- Biffle is yet to break through with a win but he has been a contender in each Cup race so far. Crew Chief Greg Erwin and Biffle are on the same page and Roush-Fenway has been strong too. This is a contract year and the team needs to snip one driver from their roster to get down to the NASCAR mandated four teams. This will be the hot driver of "Silly Season 2008."
Penske Racing South- Not only did they start the season by winning the Daytona 500, their teams have been strong in each race to start the year. Except for the failed Sam Hornish Jr experiment, 2008 shows signs of being one of the better years in recent history for Penske Racing.
Richard Childress Racing- After placing all three teams in the Chase last season it looked hard to top that feat. Maybe this season RCR will win the championship! Once again all three teams look solid and plans for adding a fourth team are coming into focus too.
Mike Bliss- Armando Fitz cars have not been that strong in recent years. But Mike Bliss has shown that if the driver has talent he can get some strong finishes in this equipment. Bliss has been a winner in the Craftsman Trucks and solid in the Nationwide Series. Maybe someday he will get a shot with a good Cup car.
Bad
Hendrick Motorsports- Obviously this entry is graded on a curve since most Cup owners would love to have three teams in the top fourteen after five races. But this team is all about championships and two of their teams are struggling badly. Dale Earnhardt Jr is the only driver that looks comfortable in this design of the Cup car. Casey Mears has almost dropped out of the top thirty-five!
Rusty Wallace Incorporated- This team has fast cars but always finds a way to shoot themselves in the collective foot to avoid a good finish. Steven Wallace does not look more polished this season and appears to not be learning from all the hard knocks against the walls the last two years.
Paul Menard- Menard got the free pass into the first five races after Dale Earnhardt Inc bought out the points from Ginn Racing in the middle of last season. This time around he has stayed in the top thirty-five but his 27th place after five races is underachieving in this equipment.
Chip Ganassi Racing- Maybe they should try racing their open wheel cars instead! While the other Dodge teams are enjoying resurgence Gannasi's drivers are struggling. Some writers were picking Juan Pablo Montoya to make the Chase this season but he is currently 19th. Reed Sorenson is closer to falling out of the top 35 than being in the Chase and Franchitti is on the go or go home list.
Weather Issues- Qualifying has been rained out 40% of the time this season! High winds were a nuisance at Las Vegas and rain cost practice time at Bristol. Maybe the sure-fire way to end a drought is to schedule a NASCAR race!
Ugly
Jamie McMurray- How can a Roush-Fenway car fall out of the top 35 in points after five races? Blame it on team chemistry all you want but the driver needs to shoulder a lot of the blame with the new car design. Jamie McMurray has to be the biggest disappointment of 2008.
Sam Hornish Jr- Hornish Jr started strong at Daytona and then performed as expected. This is what happens when a talented driver from another form of motorsports is rushed to the Cup level. Will we see a second swap of points between the No. 2 and No. 77?
Regan Smith- Promoting Regan Smith to the Cup level this season was a curious move. Now with Aric Almirola racing to a strong top ten finish at Bristol, Regan Smith has to be looking over his shoulder. Being outside the top 35 looking in will add even more pressure to a young driver that has looked average on his best days and no ready for prime time on his worst.
Jacques Villeneuve- When I predicted that Jacques Villeneuve would be the first driver to lose his ride in 2008 I really didn't expect it to happen so soon. One look at Villeneuve's demeanor around the track and observers are left to question whether he really wanted to be racing in NASCAR. Even his putrid singing was better than his driving!
California Speedway- Can we just shoot this place and put it out of OUR misery? Each year they find a new excuse for not filling the seats. The racing is average on a good day and a cure for insomnia on their worst. Now they have turns that weep! When that worker brought out the saw I was hoping he would just keep cutting until there wasn't anything left!
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